“Number seventy-three: become CEO of LOGO.”

Kurt turned around at the sound of the voice in his ear.

“God, Sally, you about gave me a heart attack,” Kurt muttered, staring at the secretary.

“Sorry,” she smiled, handing him a coffee cup filled to the brim with warm coffee.

“Bless you,” he sighed, taking a sip. She gestured toward his phone, which he’d been looking at and she’d read from over his shoulder.

“What’s that?”

Kurt flushed. “Bucket list.”

“Oh, do I get to see the rest of the goodies?” Sally asked, teasing.

“No,” Kurt answered her, his cheeks bright red now.

“Spoil sport,” Sally replied. “I better get back to my desk – I know how you get without your first cup in the morning and the coffee pot was almost empty, so…”

“You’re the best, Sally,” Kurt told her, taking another sip. “Poets will write sonnets about you.”

“Aww, flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Hummel,” she said, giving him a wave and disappearing back into the hallway. Kurt laughed then picked up his phone, staring at his bucket list again. So many of things on there had yet to be accomplished (and, if he was honest, so many of them were nigh on impossible), and it was kind of depressing.

Still, this one was attainable and he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers. He glanced around his tiny corner office (it was practically a closet) at the LOGO network’s headquarters. He was currently the Executive Assistant to the Development Producer and Kurt had never had a more challenging job. It certainly wasn’t the job he’d expected when he’d come to New York for college years ago.

He’d graduated high school five years ago with his best friend Rachel Berry, and the two of them had headed immediately for New York. She’d had an acceptance to NYADA and Kurt had an internship for Vogue dot com waiting for him. He’d actually applied for NYADA but wasn’t accepted until later in Rachel’s freshman year. He’d found that he’d loved working at Vogue dot com as much as he loved attending NYADA so he did both. Kurt became the editor’s right hand man, eventually working up to executive assistant.

If not for that, he probably wouldn’t have the job he had now. Isabelle Wright, the editor, had written him an amazing reference letter once Kurt had told her he felt his interests lay outside a professional career in fashion. The entertainment industry had kind of burned him over the years (yes, he’d gotten into NYADA, and yes, he loved singing and dancing – but the simple fact was there just weren’t parts out there for someone like him), but he knew he still wanted to be a part of it. It only made sense to shift toward television and damned if Kurt didn’t love being involved in the creation of new shows.

Working for LOGO was a dream come true.

He leaned back and took another drink of his coffee. The phone on his desk rang shrilly and Kurt nearly dropped the cup. Luckily, the drops of coffee splatter missed his clothes (the arm rest of his chair was not so lucky), and he set the cup down before he could do any more damage.

“Kurt Hummel,” he said, answering the phone.

“Hummel.” Kurt’s eyes widened at his boss’ voice. “I’ve got a job for you.”



Blaine should have known something was up the moment he answered his brother’s phone call. Cooper never called him up spur of the moment and invited him anywhere. It was always Blaine who was in charge of their relationship, making sure they kept in touch. Cooper was always too busy with work to remember that Blaine existed half the time, so when Cooper had called and said he was in New York and wanted to meet Blaine for lunch he’d jumped at the opportunity, no questions asked.

He and his brother weren’t really close, but Cooper tried hard to relate to Blaine. It was just unlucky that they had a ten year age difference and it made it hard for them to find common ground. Usually it meant that they discussed acting and performing and sometimes that involved Cooper criticizing all of Blaine’s choices, but Blaine loved his brother in spite of all of Cooper’s faults.

Blaine walked briskly down a busy New York street, enjoying the smell of snow in the air. He’d moved to New York four years ago, just after high school, to attend Tisch. He was a recent graduate and was now “paying his dues” according to Cooper, trying to get any acting job he could. Of course, Cooper’s advice was that Broadway was dead and he should move to LA and get a job on TV show (like Cooper had – he’d started out in a credit rating company commercial and had eventually moved up to a regular role on a soap opera, where his over-the-top acting choices were appreciated).

Blaine had no desire to be on TV. He didn’t want to struggle to get his emotions across to an audience through a camera lens. He craved that excitement of performing live for them, getting their reactions and playing off them. He lived for that.

He saw the restaurant Cooper had mentioned and went inside.

“How many?” the hostess asked.

“Umm, two, should be under Anderson,” Blaine told her.

“Right this way, sir. The rest of your party is already seated.” Blaine smiled and followed her through the crowded restaurant. He finally spotted Cooper, who was standing up, smiling and waving him in their direction. His breath caught in his throat as he realized that Cooper wasn’t alone – he was sitting with the most gorgeous man that Blaine had ever seen.

It took him a moment to realize what was happening, but once he had, well… Blaine got mad.



Kurt could hardly believe he was sitting across a table from Cooper Anderson at a fancy New York restaurant. He was Cooper Anderson, the subject of Kurt’s crush while he was in high school (those credit rating commercials had led to many a masturbatory fantasy if Kurt was honest with himself), and to have the man actually sitting across from him was like a bizarre dream come true.

It would never have happened if not for his boss dumping a project in his lap – not just any project, the project of Kurt’s career. His boss wanted a new reality show idea for the network, something that could compete with the bigger networks and draw ratings. After tinkering around with facts and figures and mounds of research, he’d cautiously suggested a dating show, sort of like the gay version of The Bachelor. His boss had liked it and now here Kurt was, sitting with Cooper, the new host for the show.

Kurt had been startled to see Cooper’s name up for the part, but had known immediately that he’d choose him. Cooper was engaging and charming and they needed that in a host. Plus, his character on his current show was “lost in the mountains”, meaning he had six weeks off to film a new show.

However, the casting director had struggled with finding a guy to be their bachelor for lack of a better word. Every guy that had crossed Kurt’s desk had been vetoed for one reason or another, to the point where the casting director had actually yelled at him in front of Cooper (and half the secretary pool of the office, which was mortifying). Cooper had come to the rescue though, saying his brother was a single gay actor who lived in New York. He’d shown Kurt a picture and Kurt had been sold by Blaine’s slicked back hair and honey colored eyes – now they just had to meet with him and convince him to do it. The casting director had stormed off after that, letting Kurt handle this one on his own. He made sure to send her flowers in apology.
Needless to say, he was taken aback when Cooper’s brother strode over to the table and immediately started yelling.

“How could you do this, Cooper?” he shouted. “You know how I feel about this!”

“Blainey, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cooper replied, lowering his voice, probably hoping that Blaine would lower his as a result.

“Don’t call me that,” Blaine snapped, indeed dropping his voice. He turned to Kurt and Kurt’s eyes widened in surprise. “Look, I’m sure you’re a nice guy and you’re incredibly attractive, but I can find my own dates. Whatever my brother told you, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested. I detest being set up.”

Kurt’s mouth fell open and he started to refute Blaine’s words.

“Actually, I-" he started.

Blaine cut him off. “Look, I’m sorry; I’m just going to go.” He turned around and left without another word.

“I’ll go get him,” Cooper said, looking worried. “Don’t move.”

With that, Cooper was moving across the restaurant, leaving Kurt to sit there, shocked by what had just happened.



“Blaine, wait!” Cooper shouted. Blaine walked as fast as he could through the busy street. “Will you stop?” Cooper snapped, grabbing his arm, sounding out of breath.

“How could you, Cooper?” Blaine asked. “I’ve told you, over and over…”

“I know,” Cooper replied. “I got the message. That’s not what this is.”

“It’s not?” Blaine clarified after a second.

“No,” Cooper smiled. “It’s about a job for you, squirt.”

“Cooper, I’m twenty-two years old. Please stop with the nicknames.”

“You’re my baby brother,” Cooper replied. “I’m biologically incapable of stopping.”

“You said something about a job?” Blaine said, hope in his voice.

“I sure did,” Cooper smiled again. “Let’s go try this again, okay?”

Blaine nodded and Cooper put his arm around Blaine’s shoulders, letting his brother lead him back inside the restaurant. When they approached the table, Blaine felt his face flush in embarrassment. He’d just gone off on this incredibly gorgeous guy who was possibly going to offer him a job, oh God.

“I am so sorry,” Blaine said, reaching his hand out to shake Kurt’s. Kurt put his hand out with a smile. “Blaine Anderson.”

“Kurt Hummel. It’s okay,” Kurt replied. Blaine almost didn’t want to let Kurt’s hand go – it was amazingly soft.

“It’s not. I can’t believe I let myself do that,” Blaine refuted.

“I have a brother too,” Kurt told him. “I know what it’s like to automatically assume the worst.” Blaine let out a chuckle of relief. “So, did Cooper let you know why I’m here?”

“Sort of,” Blaine answered. “Something about a job?”

“He thought you’d be perfect for a new show we’re developing,” Kurt said. Blaine arched an eyebrow at him. Kurt seemed awfully young to be developing a TV show for a network.

“I guess it can’t hurt to hear you out…” Blaine trailed off. He was Broadway bound – it was his dream – but maybe a pit stop in TV could help him out.



Kurt and Cooper went through the entire spiel – about how Blaine would be their bachelor and would maybe find love, et cetera and Kurt thought they sold it rather well.

“We’re calling it ‘Bowties of Love’. The bachelor will give bowties to the guys he wants to keep.” Kurt finished. “I know it’s cheesy, but we think it’ll hook viewers.”

He stopped talking and stared at Blaine, waiting for his answer.

“Absolutely not.”